Crater Lake
Crater Lake, located in Oregon, is the deepest lake in the United States and the ninth deepest in the world, formed by a volcanic eruption around seven thousand years ago. The lake resides within Crater Lake National Park, which was established in 1902, and has been a site of human habitation for thousands of years. The area around Crater Lake is rich in biodiversity, hosting around fifty species of animals, including various amphibians, reptiles, and birds, as well as old-growth forests. The lake is renowned for its remarkable clarity, as it is filled solely by rain and snow, contributing to its striking blue color.
Crater Lake holds cultural significance for local Native American tribes, such as the Klamath and Umpqua, who regard it as a sacred site. In the late 1800s, Crater Lake gained attention from gold miners and tourists, ultimately leading to its designation as a national park despite opposition from local agricultural interests. Today, Crater Lake National Park attracts approximately six hundred thousand visitors annually, offering opportunities for boat tours, wildlife observation, and educational exhibits about the area's natural history and cultural heritage. While scientists believe that the dormant volcano could become active again, they do not anticipate any immediate threats, allowing tourists to enjoy its beauty safely.
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is a large lake located in the state of Oregon in the United States. It is the deepest lake in the United States and the ninth deepest lake on Earth. The lake, which was created when a volcano collapsed and filled with water, is part of Crater Lake National Park, which was founded in 1902. The lake is home to various types of plants and animals, and people have been living near it for thousands of years. In the twenty-first century, Crater Lake is a tourist destination for hundreds of thousands of people.
Background
Crater Lake formed thousands of years ago. A volcano called Mount Mazama stood where Crater Lake is now located. This volcano formed with other mountains and volcanoes in what people now call the Cascade Mountains. It began to form about half a million years ago. The volcano formed in this location because of plate tectonics. The plates that make up Earth's crust slowly drift and move; as they move, magma from below the crust can rise to the surface causing geologic phenomena such as volcanoes. Mount Mazama was an active volcano more than seven thousand years ago. At that time, the cone of the volcano covered the area that is now Crater Lake and may have been as tall as 12,000 feet (3,600 meters). Below its surface was a large chamber filled with magma. About seven thousand years ago, Mount Mazama experienced a cataclysmic eruption, ejecting magma and hot gases into the air. The volcano ejected roughly 50 cubic kilometers of magma. For comparison, the explosion of Mount St. Helens ejected roughly one-half cubic kilometer of magma.
After the eruption, the volcano collapsed in on itself. The sides of the volcano collapsed, and they created an enormous basin called a caldera. Even after Mount Mazama collapsed, volcanic activity continued in the spot for thousands of years. This activity created a large land mass in the center of the caldera. The volcano has been dormant for about five thousand years. During that time, the huge caldera filled with water from rain and snow, creating Crater Lake. Part of the landmass created by lava in the center of the caldera still rises above the water. It is called Wizard Island. The lake itself is 1,943 feet (592 meters) deep, making it the deepest lake in the United States. The walls of the caldera rise hundreds of feet above the water and are covered in ash and lava.
Crater Lake has been a huge lake and a dormant volcano for thousands of years, but scientists know that changes could happen there. Even though the volcano has been dormant for thousands of years, it can, and scientist say most likely will, become volcanically active again. Furthermore, scientists know the walls of the crater could fail, causing massive flooding. Even though these events could happen, scientists do not think they will happen any time in the near future.
Overview
Crater Lake has long been home to many types of plants and animals, and humans have interacted with the area at least as long as the caldera has existed. Today the lake is home to many types of plants and animals. Roughly fifty species of animals, from squirrels to moose, live at Crater Lake. The lake has long winters and short summers, but animals such as amphibians, reptiles, and birds also live in the area. Since the area was turned into a national park, many of the trees near the lake are still old-growth forest trees. Yet, the soil is not nutrient dense, and most trees do not grow very tall.
Native Americans were living close to Crater Lake at least since the time of the massive explosion and the formation of the caldera. Native American tribes from the area, including the Klamath and Umpqua, have stories about the creation of the lake that have been passed down through generations. Scientists also have evidence that humans lived in the area because they found a sandal and other artifacts buried in the ash near the lake. The Native American tribes that live near Crater Lake have always viewed it as a sacred place that deserves respect. In the 1800s, gold miners from California found the lake while searching for a gold mine. Soon after, more non-native people began visiting the area and eventually named it Crater Lake.
One of the reasons the lake is so popular with people and wildlife is that the lake has some of the clearest freshwater in the world. The lake has no rivers or streams running into it, so very few pollutants can contaminate it. It is filled only with water from rain and snow. The lake is so blue that one of the first names suggested for the lake by a settler was Deep Blue Lake.
People have been attracted to Crater Lake's beauty for hundreds of years. In the late 1800s, the lake was becoming a popular attraction, and the United States Geological Survey studied and measured it. A man from Kansas named William Gladstone Steel read about the lake in the newspaper and became interested in it. He visited the lake and wanted to make the area a national park. Despite protests from local ranchers and farmers, the US government created Crater Lake National Park in 1902. Today, the national park is one of the more popular national parks, and it welcomes roughly six hundred thousand visitors each year. Visitors to the park can learn more about the lake, the wildlife, and the history of people who live nearby in exhibits and visitor centers. People can also take boat tours of the lake and stay at the park in hotels or at campgrounds. Even though scientists believe the area will have volcanic activity again someday, they do not think there is any immediate threat, and tourists can visit the lake without fear of danger.
Bibliography
"Crater Lake." Travel Oregon, traveloregon.com/see-do/oregon-heritage/history-heritage/native-american-heritage/crater-lake/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
"Crater Lake: A History." Crater Lake Trust, www.craterlaketrust.org/clt-history. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
"Geologic History." Crater Lake Trust, www.craterlaketrust.org/clt-geologic-history. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
"Geologic History and Formation." Crater Lake Institute, www.craterlakeinstitute.com/online-library/geologic-history-formation/geologic-history-formation.htm. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
"Geology." National Park Service, www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/upload/Geology.pdf. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
"History." National Park Service, www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/upload/2010-history.pdf. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
"History of Crater Lake: How a Volcano Became Our Deepest Lake." Kids Discover, 12 May 2014, www.kidsdiscover.com/quick-reads/history-crater-lake-volcano-became-deepest-lake/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.
Klimasauskas, Ed, et al. "Mount Mazama and Crater Lake: Growth and Destruction of a Cascade Volcano." United States Geological Survey, pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2002/fs092-02/. Accessed 13 Sept. 2017.